Road grader



Jan. 19,1926; 1,570,140

c. 4's. GILBERT v ROAD emu Filed llay 15 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTORCE G'ILE'EBT ATTORNEYS Jan. 19,1926. 1,570,140

A C. E. GILBERT ROAD GRADER Filed May 15 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORC.E.GILBEBT 4 BY VW v ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES CLARENCE EUGENE GILBERT, OF AFERDEEN, SOUTH DAKOTA ROADGRADER.

Application filed May 15, 1925. Serial No. 30,581.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE EUGENE GILBERT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Aberdeen, in the county of Brown and State ofSouth Dakota, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Road Graders,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in road graders, and it consists inthe combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described andclaimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a road grader of the characterdescribed which is so constructed as to entirely eliminate play betweenthe cutting edge of the grader and the grader frame or circle. This playbetween the cutting edge and frame is found in graders of the ordinarytype, and particularly circle graders having a pin a the center of thecircle and a locking pin for securing the grader blade against movementrelative to the circle when it is moved upon the central pin. Such playor lost motion causes a so-called corduroy surface in roads upon whichthe grader 18 used which is highly undesirable.

A further object of my invention is to provide a road grader of thecharacter described in which the entire circle rotates carrying with itthe cutting edge of the grader and in which the circle is at all timesnormally locked against movement and may only be moved at the operatorswill.

A further object of my invention is to provide a road grader of thecharacter described in which novel means is employed for rotating thecircle to effect a change in the disposition of the cutting edge withrespect to the road.

A further object of my invention is to provide a road grader of thecharacter described in which the draught attachments are such as topermit a maximum space between the grader frame and the road surface,which space at the present time in ordinary types of graders ispartially occupied by portions of the grader frame.

Other objects and advantages willappear in the following specification,and the novel featuresof the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming partof this applicatiomifn which Figure 1 is a top plan view of anembodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of a fragmentary part of Figure 2, and

Figure 4: is a sectional View along the line H of Figure 3.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a split annulus 1. The splitannulus 1 has lugs 2 and 3 secured at the opposite ends thereof, seeFigure 3, by the provision of rivets 4. These lugs 2 and 3 extendoutwardly from the annulus and incline away from one another towardtheir outer ends.

An annular member 5 constructed of channel iron and substantially Ushaped in crossv section is rotatably mounted within the split annulus 1and is free to rotate at t all times except when the lugs 2 and 3 aredrawn toward one another at which time the annular member 5, which Ishall hereinafter refer to as the circle, is locked against movementrelative to the split annulus 1 by frictional engagement therewith.

The split annulus 1 has forwardly extending draught frames 6' securedthereto which are connected with a socket member 7 by the provision ofbolts 8. The socket member 7 has a complementary and cooperating part 9secured thereto by bolts 10 by means of 'which a draught bar 11 having aball at the outer end may be engaged'with the ball within the socketformed by the members 7 and 9. The draught bar 11 is provided onwhatever engine or locomotion is used to draw the grader, or to awhlflle-tree 1f horses are to be used- The draught frames 6 are providedwith cross braces 12 and 13 for further reenforcing these members.

Means for normally maintaining the split annulus 1 in frictionalengagementwith the circle 5 and thereby preventing movement of thecircle is provided in a shaft 15 which is projected through openingsprovided in the lug members 2 and 3 respectively. Pins 16 are projectedtransversely through the shaft 15 soas to bear upon the remote surfacesof the lugs 2 and 3. Thus when the shaft 15 is rotated to the positionshown in dotted lines, the lugs 2 and 3 are drawn toward one another andthe annulus is contr-acted, but when in the position shown in fulllines, the annulus is expanded so as to permit free movement of thecircle 5 therein,

An inclined arm 17 is fixed to the shaft 15 and extends upwardly andforwardly therefrom. A trolley 18 is disposed upon the mclined arm 17and is connected to a compression spring 19, the opposite end of whichis connected by a rod 20 to the brace 13 for the frame member 6.

Means for limiting movement of the trolley 18 relative to the arm 17 isprovlded in a pin 21 projecting through the arm 17. A rod 22 isconnected at 23 to the outermost end of the arm 17 and extendsrearwardly of the grader and has any suitable type of hand grip disposedat the rearmost portion of the rod. When the rod is drawn in thedirection of the arrow 24, it will draw the arm 17 against the force ofthe spring 19 and permit the annulus to expand. It should be noted atthis time that the split annulus is of substantially resilient materialand has an inherent tendency to expand.

A pair of depending supporting members 25 are secured to the circle 5. Agrader cutting edge 26 is pivotally mounted at 27 to each of the members25 at points adjacent to the outer ends of the cutting edge 26.Rearwardly extending braces 28 extend from the depending member 25 tothe rearmost portion of the circle 5 to brace the members 25. Means foradjusting the cutting edge 26 as to inclination is provided in bolts 29projected through the members 25 and engaged with perforated arcuatemembers 30 carried by the cutting edge 26 through which perforations thebolts 29 are projected.

The circle 5 has a segmental gear portion at the upper part thereof asshown at 31 and which extends for a portion of the circumference of thecircle. A worm gear 32 supported by bearings 83, which bearings arecarried by the members 6, is in mesh with the teeth of the segmentalgear 31. A pair of rods 34 and 35 connected to one another and to theworm gear 32 by universal joints 36 and 37 respectively provide meansfor rotating the worm gear so as to cause the circle 5 to turn when thesplit annulus is expanded, as previously described.

For the purpose of simplicity, I have omitted the rod 22 in Figure 1 ofthe drawing and the hand grips used in connection with the rods 22 and34.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. It is apparent that theprovision of the split socket 7-9 enables the device to be readilycoupled to the engine of locomotion, or to a whiflie-tree, as desired.

Let us assume that the grader is ready for work and that it is desiredto move the cutting edge 26 at a predetermined angle relative to theroad. To accomplish this end, the operator will merely pull on the rod22 in the direction of the arrow 24, thus rotatting the shaft 15 againstthe force of the spring 19 to such position as will permit the splitannulus to expand. The circle 5 is then released from frictionalengagement with the annulus and rotation of the rod 34 and consequentrotation of the worm gear 32 must cause rotation of the circle withinthe split annulus until the predetermined position of the cutting edge26 is attained. At this time the operator will release the rod 22 andpermit the spring 19 to draw the arm 17 forwardly, thus rotating theshaft 15 and contracting the annulus as described.

I claim:

1. A road grader of the character described comprising a frame includinga split annulus, a circle rotatably mounted in said split annulus, agrader cutting edge carried by said circle, means for normallycontracting said split annulus so as to frictionally engage with saidcircle, and manually operated means for rotating said circle with respect to said split annulus when said split annulus is expanded.

2. A road grader of the character described comprising a frame includingasplit annulus, a circle rotatably mounted in said split annulus, agrader cutting edge carried by said circle, means for normallycontacting said split annulus so as to frictionally engage with saidcircle, and manually operated means for rotating said circle withrespect to said split annulus when said split annulus is expanded, saidframe being adapted for connection with an engine of locomotion or thelike.

3. A road grader of the character described comprising a frame having asplit annulus, a circle rotatably mounted within said split annulus,yielding means for normally contracting said split annulus so as tofrictionally engage with said circle, a road grader cutting edge carriedby said circle, manually actuated means for opposing said ylelding meansto permit said split annulus to expand, and means for rotating saidcircle when the split annulus is expanded at will.

4. A road grader of the character described comprising a frame having asplit annulus, a circle rotatably mounted within said split annulus,yielding means for normally contracting said split annulus so as tofrictionally engage with said circle, a road grader cutting edgeadjustably disposed on said circle, manually actuated means for opposingsaid yielding means to permit said split annulus to expand, means forrotating said circle when the split annulus is expanded at will, andball and socket means for connecting said grader frame with an engine oflocomotion or the like.

5. A road grader of the character de scribed comprising a frame adaptedfpr connection with an engine of locomotion oi the and segmental teethprovided on said circle, like, a split annulus carried by said frame, aWorm gear carried by said frame and in a circle rotatably mounted Withinsaid mesh With the teeth on said circle, and frame, means for yieldinglycontracting means for rotating said Worm gear at Will.

5 said split annulus to frictionally engage said frame, a cutting edgecarried by said circle, CLARENCE EUGENE GILBERT.

